Ranchi, July 30: Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to enhance central funding for scholarship programmes benefiting students from Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Other Backward Classes (OBC) and minority communities.
In a letter dated July 29, Soren said the gap between the funds sought by the state and the amount released by the Centre was affecting the timely disbursement of scholarships and could impact the education of a large number of students.The Chief Minister highlighted the funding shortfall under various scholarship schemes, particularly those meant for OBC students.
According to the letter, Jharkhand had requested ₹370.87 crore under the OBC post-matric scholarship programme for the 2025–26 financial year but received ₹58.22 crore.During the previous financial year, the state had sought ₹353.21 crore under the scheme and received ₹33.57 crore, the letter stated.Soren also pointed to a shortfall in funding for OBC pre-matric scholarships.
Jharkhand had sought ₹66.14 crore for 2024–25 and received ₹12.61 crore. For 2025–26, the state requested ₹45.91 crore, while the central allocation stood at ₹3.95 crore, according to the communication.Raising concerns over support for Scheduled Tribe students, the Chief Minister said no central funds had been released under the ST pre-matric and post-matric scholarship schemes during 2025–26.
He added that the ₹200 crore released in 2024–25 largely covered pending liabilities and partial dues from earlier years.Soren said a significant section of Jharkhand’s population belongs to the OBC category and that many students from financially weaker households depend on scholarships to continue their education.The Chief Minister noted that the state considers family income as a key criterion while determining scholarship eligibility and is working to expand educational opportunities despite geographical challenges and limited financial resources.
Seeking a review of the existing funding framework, Soren requested the Centre to increase scholarship allocations in line with the state’s requirements and provide greater support to economically weaker and developing states.He also called for the revival of minority scholarship programmes, stating that these schemes had not received central funding since 2021–22.
The Chief Minister said adequate and timely financial assistance was necessary to ensure that eligible students were not deprived of educational opportunities due to a shortage of scholarship funds.
